Te Ao Hurihuri • The Changing World

“This grouping is called Te Ao Hurihuri, The Changing World. In its original context te ao hurihuri was spoken as a mixture of a lament for Māori knowledge passed, lost and superseded and to encourage Māori to take on Pakeha (European) knowledge and skills to be able to move forward at a time of intense loss. In this context they are about change again, a reassertion of positive affirmations of Mana Māori (Power of Māori) and particularly with these works Mana Wahine (Power of Women).”

Paerau graduated with a Diploma in Craft Design-Māori in 1990 from Waiariki Polytechnic in Rotorua. She currently tutors in ceramics at Te Puna Toi, a Māori visual arts program of Te Wananga o Aotearoa in Palmerston North. She is a member of Nga Kaihanga Uku, a national Māori clayworkers’ group; Kauwae, a Māori female artists’ group, and Nga Wahine Kai Whakairo, a national Māori women’s carving group.